The Silver Priest of the Church
by Road and Tyki
Summary: Allen never made it to the Order. In fact, he met with Merem Solomon who found him in Italy was told about the Order's sickening activities claiming it was all for God when they were no better than the Earl. Upon hearing such horrible things, he turned his back on the Order and joined the Church...and its Burial Agency. How will the Agency fare with having an Exorcist in its ranks?
1. Chapter 1

The Newest Member

In a beautiful underground structure designed with greek architecture with wall paintings that were stories from the bible ala Sistine Chapel Style...there, a young man with white hair is being trained hard by a boy who looks much younger than him.

They were sparring hard...with the white-haired boy wearing weights on his wrists and ankles.

'What do you think of the newcomer?' a woman's deep-sounding, cool voice spoke.

'His education is clearly incomplete.' said a man. 'Honestly...what's a weapon if their wielder can't even wield it properly? He's only trained in his arm and then some low-level martial arts before sending him to the Order? Really now?' he said disdainfully.

'To them weapons are worth more than their wielders, along with their obsession of the synchronization rate, speaking as if it determines their chances in war with the Millennium Earl.' said a much older man. 'They know nothing about fighting yet desire power and go to sinful means to acquire power.'

'I'm glad Merem got him here.' said a young girl. 'I don't see him lasting long in the Order...he has a brightly optimistic view of the world. The Order will shatter him for sure. And he's also the kind of ideal servant of god. And he has ideal images of the world and his job.'

'Its something we do as well for a price. High-rising body counts of the foul abominations and undead and some property damage...' said a gruff voice of another male. 'But being optimistic can be a pain. Because the more you positively expect with brimming happy hopes, the harder and more painful the fall when you get disappointed. He is ignorant of how this world works. The sooner he's faced reality the better. As he is now, he's a liability. His Master, Cross Marian did not educate him properly. Just about the Earl, Akuma, Innocence, some low-level style and that's it.'

'We'll have to fix that, don't we? As much as I like him that way...he has to know how things work around here.' said the young girl from before. 'The sooner he knows, the sooner he can accept and move on while protecting the world with us.'

'Er guys? What do we do if Cross sent mail to the Order about him, he never came and they came to find and get him?' a timid-sounding man spoke up.

'Oh, come on, you saw how he exploded in anger when Merem told him how the Order works, complete with documentary proof!' the old man chuckled. 'He'll fight for the word 'no' for his morals. Something we have...that they don't. Heck, even a Dead Apostle Ancestor has morals and that's saying something.'

xxx

'Break!' Allen collapsed on his knees, exhausted. 'It's been six months, but you're steadily improving.' said Merem Solomon, a Dead Apostle Ancestor but works for the Church as he likes priceless treasures and the Church has some of the goods he likes but couldn't have, so he stays to be near the treasures and ahem, has to 'earn his keep'.

'How much longer though?' Allen asked his trainer. 'How long till I'm up to standards?'

'Around December.'

'Ehhhhh?!'

'Blame Cross for your lousy education and why we're taking so long.' said the deceivingly young boy as he dismissed his demons that once again became his limbs. 'Honestly, what good is a weapon if a wielder can't even wield it properly? That moron. After a two-hour break for food, drink, hygiene stuff with rest included, come back here again.'

'Yessir!'

xxx

Allen thought of his life in The Church in Italy.

Everyone was really nice to him but if its training, they were strict as hell and expected his best, and even expected him to surpass 'the previous best' last day prior in the current date. They taught him about what should be done by a true Apostle of God. They live to protect and make people happy, not work for a private spat like the Order and Noah Clan does. He learned proper literacy, mathematics, the Bible from Old to New Testament, physical-training-from-hell, combat and evasion-training-from-hell, using the Holy Sacraments and Black Keys, and the Scriptures just incase he got 'authority' to use them someday. That, and prayers priests and priestesses use as part of their thaumaturgy. He is also learning other Magic Disciplines of Healing, Summoning, Divination, and Alchemy. His Magic Circuits? A very good 40 B+ Quality and in his left arm that was his Mystic Code...is still in question as they were trying to awaken its true form through training. In its present state to him, it has 20 A Quality Circuits. Makes him wonder what if he awakens his true form...would his arm's circuit quality improve?

Allen just has one complaint about his lessons.

Tearing pages off good bible books to make their weapons was a waste and somehow, made him feel like he just did something very wrong. They were Bible Books, the very history of God's teachings...and they're ripping pages off it as weapons combined with magic! Allen thus made sure he prays for forgiveness for this blatant sacrilege of the teachings of the lord and makes sure he does good deeds to compensate for his...misdemeanors.

However, the bible mixed with Church Thaumaturgy, becomes a deadly, holy weapon to the 'servants of evil'. Even moreso if Allen draws power from his arm. It becomes twice as effective and powerful. And every week, he predicts his future sneakily so he could prepare for what's in store for him by his crazy strict teachers instead of having mental breakdowns on what they'll have him do.

He was made to eat healthy foods cooked in healthy ways that were never too oily. Exercise and train till he drops and burns off all his fat, replacing them with toned muscle, and improved stamina, endurance, muscular conditioning, combat skills, throwing skills and magic skills. When he left India to follow Cross' order to go to the Black Order with Timcampy as his guide, he encountered his part-time mentor, Merem Solomon who witnessed him kill an akuma. And upon seeing him with his eye activated, he saw Merem's unusual attachments to his limbs and asked him point-blank what are his limbs as he sees that they weren't human.

Merem told Allen of his past to explain his limbs.

He was a originally a child with the ability to speak with animals and materialize people's wishes due to his status as a Planet Terminal. The inhabitants of his village removed his arms and legs to keep him from ever leaving, all while revering him as a deity for their own convenience and he languished in pain for months as at the time, medical arts wasn't advanced. There's nothing to keep the pain away as his amputated stumps where his limbs used to be slowly healed. Crimson Moon took note of this, and challenged the villagers to a morbid game: all throughout the night, the villagers would have to imagine beasts for Merem to materialize, and if none of the creatures were able to defeat him by daybreak, they would all be slaughtered.

Nothing from their imaginations could possibly stand up to Crimson Moon, so he kept his promise and killed all of them at dawn. The act of materializing the beasts was too much for Merem to bear, which lead to his death. He was revived by Crimson Moon as an Apostle and told, that as he was now free of his captors, to imagine beasts to replace his lost limbs. He owed the ancient vampire his freedom and swore loyalty to the man for saving him from his terrible village and neighbors...and he created four demons to act as his limbs so he could freely move once more after several years of suffering. It was ironic that the monsters humans feared have more heart and kindness than humans themselves who turned out to be the real monsters in human skin when overcome with greed and lust for power and he hated them.

He in turn asked Allen why is he saving the humans Merem despised.

Allen in turn told him of his past. He too, hated humans. He was shunned and ostracized for his unusual left arm. Nobody wanted to adopt him or be friends with him. He long figured that he was abandoned by his own parents after ensuring he lives long enough to be able to be abandoned to fend for himself as he has no memory of ever belonging to a family. He was never a human. To them, he was a monster, a freak, spawn of the devil, etc until one day, someone finally reached out to him with a warm hand when he was cynical and nihilistic of his life with a great hatred for humans. He lives in a Circus with harsh, snappy employees who never liked him because of his arm and as a child, he was no use at the stage so he cooked and cleaned to earn his keep and have something to eat.

There's a newcomer clown who gave him the kindness and a warm hand he's never had while seeing them in adults to give to their children while to him, he could only dream. All he ever got was cold stares, fearful stares and cruel words. He had no idea that in the cruel world of humans, there's someone who will be the odd duck who would be kind to someone like him who was unwanted and feared by everyone and they who shoved him away. He started to have hope in the world as he grew to love that man as a father. At age seven, he gained a father and a birthday. His birthday or rather, adoption day was exactly on Christmas. He stayed at the Circus for two more years until his father decided that for his sake, they should leave the Circus. They began traveling as Street Performers.

One day, in Paris...on his birthday, they were coming home to their inn after eating out on a Restaurant when a reckless carriage haphazardly driven by a drunk driver was heading their way fast. His father shoved him away and he got hit...trampled by horses and crushed by wheels, devastating Allen as Mana would soon die and leave him all alone to cruel humans again. He would never meet another kind human who would love him ever again. The arrest of the driver by the Police and offer to bury his father free of charge as they would charge the man's family for the accident and death for the burial did little to alleviate his grief. His hatred boiled to the surface, cursing that man for taking the only man who loved him.

One night, while at his father's tombstone, he was visited by the Millennium Earl who gave him an offer to give him back his father and presented him a life-sized black toy kit. He said that all he has to do, is call his name and his father will be back. However, he had no idea it was all a trick but he was desperate. He soon learned it has a catch. Mana's soul is pulled back and upon inhabiting the body the Earl showed, his father was furious and angrily demanded why he turned him into a demon, while crying in pain while the Earl sang 'Happy Birthday' and ordered his father to kill him and wear Allen's body. His father told him to run while he struggled against the cruel order as the Earl vanished while laughing. Allen was forced to run from his father who could no longer resist from his new Master and gouged his left eye in his final moments of resistance...and he gained the ability to see souls in demons. And he saw his father's soul slowly consumed by his body and he was halfway gone, his expression in sheer pain.

Then his left arm showed its true colors. A true monster. It became a giant metal claw, moved against his will and clawed his demonized father who was freed when his body was destroyed. He thanked Allen and told him the words he wanted to hear...'I love you.'

He had gone blank from trauma and when he came to, he was in a house, watched over by a man who soon became his Master, Cross Marian. He learned that he was in a catatonic state from shock for a year and never slept. Trauma and never sleeping for a year straight caused his hair to become reddish brown to stark white. And damn, he was exhausted. He slept for a month straight. For three more months, he slept and ate. And since awakening his monster arm, he could eat food capable of feeding fifteen to twenty people a day. And since he has no money, this was a big problem for him and feared for his future. He also met two more kind people to him. An old granny who prefers to be called 'mother' and her son...who was a man-child and he's damn big. They were kind to him too and treated him like a child that he really is, not a monster.

Even more worse in his time with Cross. Sure, Cross trains him but he was more his meal ticket. He learned how to gamble and many cheating techniques just to earn more money, besides the endless chores he was forced to work by the people who Cross owed money to. And the man spends A LOT. Expensive food and wine? Women in brothels who happen to be the most expensive? Gambling? Dear lord...and in regards to training, he was a 'sink or swim' type of teacher while making fun of him too...and the Church wonders why his skills are low-rate? Then after five years of somewhat-hell under Cross, he ordered him to go to the Order. He only would do it if only to atone for what he did to his father. He could care less about humanity.

Merem shook his head, clearly pitying him.

Then Merem asked him this.

'Do you seriously know what kind of people you intend to work for...?' and then upon hearing of the Order's 'black history' before Komui Lee became Chief Supervisor of all Order Branches with Central and the Vatican superior to him, the Order is pure hell to plenty of children who were experimented on in hopes of becoming Exorcists. Relatives of Exorcists are also seized for study in hopes they would become Exorcists like their Exorcist relative. A lot of people, mostly children suffered painful torture in Synchronization Experiments and their fate is all the same...they became Fallen Ones. Their souls are just as damned by Innocence like what the Dark Matter of akuma does to human souls if killed by something other than Innocence. They were in a way, worse than the Earl. At least the Earl quickly kills while the Order? Slow torture, and you scream till you die! Not to mention their claims of protecting humanity is fake as in reality, they are at war with the Millennium Earl, the Clan of Noah and their akuma as their ancestors who possessed Innocence have done. Its a grudge that spanned millennia. And protecting humans is the last on their list. They only spewed the 'protect humans' as part of their recruitment to entice those who wanted to truly fight for justice...only to be never able to back out upon seeing the Order's atrocities. Because in the Order, you can never hand in a Letter of Resignation. You can only leave in a Body Bag.

Allen was horrified at what the Order has done.

And Cross wants him to work...for these people?! Upon seeing the stunned disillusioned boy, Merem gave him an offer...

And here he is now in the Burial Agency, an Organization that separated itself from the Vatican who supported the Black Order and its legion of amoral scientists and seduced by the power of Innocence. Holy Substance of God? Hah! It was just a substance created by Alchemy from the Age of Gods designed to counter the Black Matter created by the Millennium Earl! And its creator spread that propaganda, giving the people hope while burying that lie with him to his death.

Merem knew that because he also owned a lot of pieces of raw Innocence piece he had studied using Magecraft. And since he is not a being of Dark Matter but a genuine vampire, it doesn't hurt him much at all. As of now, the Order found 41, he has almost 30 and some were destroyed by the Earl but that was up for debate.

The Burial Agency works in the Shadows on their own along with other departments of other Sacraments who chose to separate itself from the Vatican as well, most of whom unable to stomach the Order's deeds that their former superiors supported and funded with their motto, 'the end justifies the means'.

Tell that to hundreds of children who suffered horribly and died a horrible, slow death and they will spit at your face if they could, and curse you to hell.

These separated divisions in turn, work with the Magus Association and allied themselves to it as they have the means to hunt down Ghouls and Living Deads who feast on humans and keep rogue magus from revealing the secret of thaumaturgy to the world and worse, the Order and the Earl.

While the Burial Agency has its own ways to deal with the supernatural, they never sacrificed lives other than their own.

Their training was strict, and the only doctor he sees are the ones that give medical check-ups and updates on his physical condition. He was never experimented on. The 'Other Church' also finds and trains Exorcists who do the 'true path' of God and the good and make sure the Order never gets their hands on them but accomodators are very rare...

And the Order and the Noah never knew what the 'Separated Division' has been doing these past few decades.

It was their form of private dark amusement. The Church was wandering out more frequently than the Order anyway. Their possessive protection of their Exorcists leaves the Finders to do the dirty work and were mostly cannon fodder. And their limited abilities makes the search slower while trained Church Members could find Innocence faster in following their leads from informants. Anything supernatural, they mobilize.

Allen will be 'usable' on December so he is forcing himself to get better faster.

Everyone takes turns training and educating him since the boss sends the right people out for jobs that are their forte.

xxx

Around December...

He has considerably improved his combat skills, evasion skills, free-running skills and usage of his Innocence but at usage of Black Keys, he has a long way to go. He mastered Healing so next on his list is Alchemy. He prefers practical survival skills first before battle-oriented ones. Besides, he has a weapon anyway. He also carries a sword on him which he laces with Innocence Energy to help things along. So his swordsmanship skills are also trained and he favors dual-wielding since it was easier on him.

For that though, he needed stronger arms and core muscles. His footwork was retrained all over again...

However, around December...Allen got a prediction.

'Ciel...' said Allen as he divined the future events. 'It seems I am needed to go right now on my first job.' he said. 'I'll go to Japan...and steal Noah's Ark. Somehow, I have the ability to control it from what I have foreseen.'

'Run this by the Leader, Narbareck.' said Ciel, frowning in her worry. 'You're taking a high-level mission right off the bat...'

'Its fate. Besides, if the Ark is in our hands, wouldn't it be easier to travel the world by one door in, one door out? This is a form of Spatial Transportation at no risk to us whatsoever.'

And so, Allen told Narbareck of the future he had foreseen. And on foot, it'll take a year to get to Japan even at their best.

He will steal the Ark and then dump the Exorcists somewhere and take the convenient tool for themselves. But the problem is, the Ark will follow wherever its driver is...so Allen will have to park it somewhere.

But where? A place nobody has ever gone to before yet.

'Underwater.' one of his mentors suggested. 'Under the ocean. Nobody's nearly smart enough to think of searching underwater. When they search, they think of land as looking high up is easy for akuma to find as they can fly.'

'Underwater it is.' the agency agreed. So Allen has his first-ever...very hard mission.

The Ark belongs to The Church and the true God they worship. The God who created the very first human pair. And they know true history of Noah's Ark that the Earl and the Order somewhat screwed up, twisting their own beliefs while humanity believes in the true teachings of the Church.

Noah's Ark and the Ark of the Covenant. They'll get one out of two for now.


	2. The Swordsman of the Coliseum

The Swordsman of the Coliseum

Shortly after Allen left Headquarters with Timcampy... 'Tim, lead me to Japan OK?' he asked his long-time companion that nodded. They went north as Italy is a boot-shaped country. They had to get to the top of the boot first before they can head East.

However, Allen heard of crazy rumors about Rome.

Three days ago, the wealthy lord Mr. Sardini had put a bounty on a man named Victorio, a rogue swordsman who has kidnapped his daughter Claudia. The one who kills the man will get a hefty bounty. A lot of men gather, armed with guns for the bounty. The bounty will personally be paid for by Viscount Paretti, Claudia's fiancee.

However, there's one thing wrong.

The bounty hunters use guns yet this man in question is still alive. So this is worth looking into.

Allen has a feeling that his time in Japan would be his last, not his first mission before going home.

xxx

In the City...it's packed with Bounty Hunters.

Allen wondered if an Order Exorcist is already here...and bingo. She saw a red-haired boy clad in the uniform and with him, a chinese girl. "Them." 'Timcampy, hide under my hood, now.' Allen whispered as a man with a horse came.

'Make way! Make way!' he cried as he stopped his horse. 'In the name of the Sardini Family, Viscount Paretti has issued an order!' he announced. 'Those who want the reward, gather here now!' a lot of men did and...they followed the messenger to...an estate where they stayed for a while. Allen made sure to be nearby the Exorcists to eavesdrop.

'Isn't this getting interesting Lenalee?' the boy asked the girl called Lenalee.

'What exactly is interesting in this, Lavi? What does this have to do with the fact that Kanda went missing?' Lenalee sighed. 'We have no time for gossip, he needs us now!'

'And we need information first.' said Lavi. 'To start off, Kanda may be where these guys are going to. To our target, the immortal ghost of the Millennium Swordsman Victorio.' he said. 'A thousand years ago here in Rome, there lived a beautiful Princess named Sandra. Her shimmering beauty reached even the orient and many great men came in hopes of wooing her to be their wives. No matter how great the proposal, she said this to every man she spoke to; 'I will only marry the strongest man in the world'. To this end, her father holds public coliseum matches, pitting every man against the King's strongest warrior, Victorio. He has never lost a fight...and he continues to fight even long after the Princess fell ill and died. And now we're hearing a man named Victorio kidnapped Lady Claudia...and Kanda went missing. There must be some connection. Kanda never loses that easily. If he did lose anyway, he must be recuperating somewhere before trying again. That guy won't die that easily. Besides, he has a Finder companion. If he gets hurt, he's rushed to the hospital.'

'But still...

'Well, this event is our way to Kanda. Can't be helped.' so they enjoyed a hearty afternoon meal...and dinner.

Allen enjoyed himself very much.

Soon, by nightfall, Lord Sardini and Viscount Paretti came out.

'Everyone, please stop what you're doing for a while and listen to my story.' said Viscount Paretti. He clearly looks like a man old enough to be Claudia's _father_, yet she's engaged to a man twice her age? Either she really IS kidnapped or ran away with Victorio...Allen wasn't sure what to believe while the man spoke.

Seeing that Lavi and Lenalee started moving, he stealthily followed them. He saw them go to a room through the window...using Lenalee's ability to fly. Once they were in, he too, went by the window to eavesdrop, taking advantage of his black cloak that melded with the shadows.

'...my daughter started talking about a swordsman who pledged loyalty to her,' Lord Sardini spoke to the Exorcists. 'It was a month ago. I thought she was dreaming so I didn't pay any heed...however, every night he would appear and report to her.'

"Victorio probably thinks she's his Princess Sandra." Allen mused thoughtfully. The Sardinis must have descended from the line of Roman Kings if Victorio thinks Claudia is _Sandra_. He edged a bit closer to listen.

'I shouted to her, saying, 'Cease this stupidity!' However, my daughter insisted it was the truth. But after three days ago, after the engagement with Viscount Paretti was settled...she vanished. There's no way she's kidnapped, she ran away from home for sure...hey! Who's there?!' Allen got startled with that but the Exorcists ran for the window, so he took the opportunity to jump off. Lord Sardini, Lavi and Lenalee gasped at this.

Allen decided to have fun a little as he stopped at an area where there's not much people.

'Who are you?!' Lenalee demanded. Allen wordlessly projected a gigantic, decorated sword with a solid gold handle long enough for two-handed waving, wrapped in scarlet leather. The guard and hilt have intricate designs and a stark-white gem, something he saw from Merem's treasure collection but he of course, reinforced it to be usable. His stunt caused the collective Bounty Hunters and Exorcists to gasp.

'Did you see that?'

'A sword appeared out of nowhere in his hands!'

'Why's it glowing?'

'Who cares, he's gotta be a ghost!'

'In the name of Princess Sandra,' Allen spoke in a deep baritone voice that he made echo supernaturally using magic. 'I shall await the strongest man who can best me as per her wish. Only the strongest man in great skill with the blade can win her!'

'He's Victorio!'

'It's him! Kill him!'

'You shameless wretches, you are not worthy of even looking at the Princess.' 'Victorio' vanished and moved in blurs, and their guns are destroyed. 'You hope to win the Princess' hand in marriage yet you are so pathetically weak. Her wish is to marry the strongest man who has defeated me and that is a wish I must grant. You are just spineless curs...' and he vanished like a ghost, causing an uproar...because they were hired to kill a ghost and you can't kill what's already dead!

Needless to say, Lavi and Lenalee got the job, being Black Order members.

xxx

On the roof of the mansion...

Allen stood on the roof with Timcampy on his head.

'Heeheehee! I got rid of the Bounty Hunters so easily with little trouble but the Exorcists, the main actors will get to stay.' he cackled. 'We better hurry and find more information about this Victorio guy...before I phone HQ if this is another Innocence or not, they'll want me to get one.' and he slipped away. He went to the Coliseum since its the place that came to mind. In battle in Rome, warriors fight in the Coliseums, no?

And upon arriving there, Victorio was there, waiting.

And some akuma came.

Victorio killed em' all.

Allen sighed. He's just too good. He knows a skilled swordsman when he sees one. He needs a little help as he's still an amateur at swords and he intends on practicing with something small until he gets better before he can look for better opponents while he's out.

He was taught how to tell if an opponent is strong or not. He is to feel their ki. He knows hostility, danger, and friendly kis. Its all he needed to know in fights. And this giant dude who's seven feet tall and a structure of muscles...he sighed and lit up a 'Help Flare'.

Help came in an instant indeed.

'You rang newbie?' a gruff man asked him.

'He's Innocence but my swordsmanship is still...crappy.' Allen sighed gloomily. 'I know that to defeat the swordsman, I have to get the Innocence away but I'll get killed before I can get within his sword range because he has a Millennia's worth under his belt. He's a thousand-year-old ghost trapped in his memories and even kidnapped Princess Claudia, thinking she's his liege Princess Sandra and trapped in the promise that she would only marry a man stronger than him. To pacify his soul and weaken his hold on Innocence, he must be defeated by a swordsman greater than he, acknowledge his defeat and separated from that sword. I'd call Merem as usual but Ancestor or no, this isn't his forte.'

'Right...' the gruff, tall man snorted as he got his own sword out. 'You're in for more lessons when you're back from ship-hi-jacking.'

'Yes, sensei.' the man then jumped down to deal with Victorio. They fought long and hard...they were equal in level but their skills are different. Once Allen's superior got the opportunity to slice off Victorio's arm. The ghost aged rapidly, freed from the bindings of Innocence and looked like a heavy burden on him was lifted. His er kidnap victim on the other hand, was devastated.

Apparently, she ran away with him because she didn't want to marry a man old enough to be her father and only obviously after her father's money, and her father is too stupid to believe him and he never believed her not even once because while Paretti showed a 'respectable personality' to her father, he only treated her like property to be owned. Even if it meant living the life of a poor girl, all she wanted was a man who actually cares for her and treat her kindly. She knew Victorio was a ghost but he genuinely cared for her even if he was trapped in his thousand-year-old promise to his princess. She in turn cares for him back and he was the kind of man she wants for a husband but her father just had to arrange her with Paretti.

Allen offered that he take her to the Church and become a Nun until she's ready to move on with life, strong enough to travel and live by herself.

Claudia agreed as anywhere was better than Rome and be used as an instant ticket to money. She left a letter in the coliseum to her father, held in place by rocks, before going to The Church with Allen's superior.

When Yu Kanda, his Finder support, Lavi and Lenalee came to investigate the Coliseum, this was what they found.

_**A strong man has freed my dear friend Victorio from his cursed**_  
_**bound fate in his promise to his dear Princess Sandra and he has**_  
_**passed on. If only he was not a ghost and bound to his promise,**_  
_**Victorio was the type of man I wanted for a husband. He is kind,**_  
_**gentle, and considerate of my feelings. But now he is freed by a**_  
_**swordsman stronger than he. **_

_**Rather than go back home and be **__**used by Paretti as a trophy wife  
and money ticket, I left to become **__**a nun until I have learned how  
to support myself. My foolish father **__**foolishly believed Paretti's  
façade while I saw his true colors. He's **__**only after me for our money  
and father never believed me. Why **__**else would he marry a girl young  
enough to be his daughter? And **__**he believed a stranger based on his  
masks and appearance rather **__**than his own daughter whom he has  
known all her life.**_

He would _**give me to a man who only cares what I represent. Money.  
Luxury. **__**Wealth. I would rather live a poor girl with a man who truly  
loves **__**me than live a life of wealth and taste, yet a loveless, unhappy life,  
treated like a tool to be used and discarded.  
**_  
_**Farewell father, we will never meet again. Viscount Paretti, I curse**_  
_**you and your whole existence. You may have beguiled my father**_  
_**with your deceit but you will never beguile me. I have left with two  
Priests of the Church to become a Nun while waiting for a true  
husband of my dreams to come and take my hand.**_

_**-Claudia.**_

The letter reached the Sardini Family through the Exorcists. Lord Sardini despaired that she left home forever and he was furious with himself for never listening to his daughter.

He broke the engagement with Paretti if it was the only way to have his daughter back as she is his only child. Paretti was furious but without Claudia, he could not be a member of the Sardini Family and there are lots of Churches in Italy alone but she could not have gotten far without help. He launched a search as he would not give up on the marriage...and his bad temper exposed his true colors to passing by maids Lavi was chatting with who overheard him spew his rage over the telephone in the hallway.

And maids, are the best source of gossip...and a Bookman with a Golem who recorded everything and let the Lord hear it...

xxx

Black Order, Komui's Office...

'So the Innocence is defeated by an unknown person, and its host passed away. Then its safe to assume that these two priests Lady Claudia went with have also taken the sword.' Komui frowned thoughtfully. 'Do we have a picture of the lady?'

'Yes...Lavi managed to nick one in the estate.' said Lenalee while shooting Lavi a look of disapproval.

'Oh come on Lenalee, the old guy's got plenty of photos!' Lavi whined childishly. 'He won't miss one!'

'Stealing is still wrong, you could have just asked for one.'

'In his mental state? Old dude is in a mental breakdown from that harsh letter!' Lavi cringed. 'Then again, he got that one coming.' he sighed. 'She willingly became a poor girl to be free. I don't know many noblewomen who'd go that far.' he said rather somberly.

'We'll have to look for Lady Claudia because she knows the faces of the two priests who took the Innocence.' said Komui. 'We'll have these photos copied and search all churches in Europe until we find those two men.'

Many months from now, no such girl turned up in the Church.


	3. Interlude: The Separate Division

The Separate Division

North of Rome, Orbetello...two days later.

It was a small village in Tuscany, Italy. Like all places in Tuscany, have great natural and architectural beauty. A port town near an unnamed, uninhabited island. Allen had gone there simply to elude Finders who are after him, before paying for a ship ride to Brindisi, and had the sailors deny of his presence as a passenger and person in the ship, after bribing the Captain 20 gold guinea.

Evasion successful.

He knew Cross sent a letter to the Order about him and they must have wanted him at HQ as soon as possible.

As if he'd join them!

It took twelve days to get to Brindisi by oceanic long-cut while by land, it'll take him a portion of the time by train. He had to change boats at Catania as the ship he boarded had a set route that does not reach Brindisi as they only go around the Mediterranean Sea, not Ionian. So he had to pay for a ship to get to the heel of the boot. He paid for a ride to Taranto to get to Brindisi on train, get to a ship again and go to Greece by dropping off in Patra.

However...

'Which route do you want?' the captain asked him.

'Huh?' Allen blinked. 'The quickest of course!' he said specifically.

'The quickest route is uhh...jinxed now.' said the Captain uncomfortably. 'I'm hearing things from other ships. On the quickest route halfway, there's this tiny island.' he told Allen. 'So tiny you can't find it in a map. But we encounter it. Twenty years ago, it was normal...but ten years after that, we started hearing some otherworldly beautiful song there. It was like a choir singing but it echoes. One time we passed by at night when its our turn. We saw the mysterious singing voice my fellow Captains met.'

'Who or what is it?' Allen asked the Captain with a frown.

'It's a very otherworldly beautiful woman with barely-there feathers for clothes with long, shiny gold hair and gold wings.' said the Captain with a mesmerized smile. 'A real beauty...but I knew its a monster when I felt the urge to go there. My men began rowing towards the winged woman when while my men is lost in the singing voice, I wasn't because I had an injury at the time. My pain kept me from losing myself.' he grunted. 'While I have my sanity, I took advantage of my zombified men's rapid rowing, and steered my ship away. Once we were far enough, that monster's spell on my men are off...we just gotta be out of hearing range.' he said. 'She only appears on the nights when there's a full moon. I knew from the Odyssey that Odysseus encountered Sirens in a marooned rocky isle, but this takes the cake! Sirens and their rock exists!' he shivered. 'Since then, I deliberately injure myself before sailing that my men thought I was masochistic. But pain saved me, enabling me to save my men's lives!'

xxx

'So there's an island of sirens, and they appear at night?' Narbareck spoke on the phone while frowning as she rapidly browsed files in the letter S drawer.

/Yes. I got this info by chance when I asked for the quickest route to Patra in Greece and the Captain told me about it. A rocky island halfway on a southeast route. They only personally appear on full moon nights but any time of the day, their singing can be heard. Innocence or Phantasmal Specie is in question since a Siren is Closest to God in nature./

'The Black Order has also heard of this case, but they gave up on it thirty years ago.' said Narbareck as she looked on the file she now has in her hands. 'Its a dangerously hopeless case yet its a very powerful Innocence. We of the Church could not get to it either and I forgot about that damn thing until you brought it up.' she said. 'I will send Ciel and Merem on the case. They have the abilities and Merem has immunity being a Dead Apostle. We can finally get that darn thing. What is the name of that Captain you met?'

/A Mr. Annas. Kinda a portly old guy who's a head shorter than you with a red nose and beady eyes...with a nasty scar on his arm that looked like it was clawed out by a bird of prey. He keeps hurting himself there since pain saved his ass from being Siren Food. He's working in Brindisi port on Mondays and Thursdays./

'Right...I'll take that into account. Siren's Isle is not your mission. Proceed to Japan unless you encounter Innocence again.' was the order. Allen put the phone down and sighed. A Siren is out of any human's pay grade, Exorcist or not. Only another Phantasmal Specie or a Dead Apostle can deal with such beings. Ciel is cursed to be linked to Michael Roa Valdamjong, a heretic priest and co-founder of the Burial Agency who was ex-communicated for becoming a Vampire and lives as long as he does so she's somewhat safe while Merem is a Dead Apostle Ancestor ranked 20 after killing the previous person who was once 20.

They'll manage.

Allen went north to Macedonia for a vacation. It so happens that when he got there, it was the day before New Year.

He decided that a Vacation is in Order while in Belgium...a death occurred.

xxx

Black Order...

Komui sighed, scratching his head.

He wondered how exactly, did Cross teach his pupil if he is running away from Finders who are obviously Order Members with a great look of distrust on the white-haired boy's face. He vanished for some months, reappeared in public clad in black clothes and bright purple church vestments(think Shirou K.) with gold runic patterns. He even wears a gold cross pendant.

After four years of no reports whatsoever, Cross' letter turned up(which was coffee-stained because of Komui) that he has an apprentice, photo included. After training, he chucked the boy to the Order with Timcampy as his guide.

But Allen never reached the Order.

In fact, he was wandering around, dressed like a priest.

Priest?

Then those looks of disgust and distrust on the boy's face...

Komui groaned as he took the receiver on his phone.

'Someone go get me Bookman.'

...

'So you think he joined _them_?' Komui asked Bookman as he gave the old man the photos.

'I recognize this color.' said Bookman as he looked at Allen's vestments. 'The Burial Agency.' Komui gasped at this. 'They are the best. I'd say they're five times better then the CROWs of Central. Ever since the Burial Agency and other departments separated from the Vatican and Black Order after getting disgusted with the Order's ways ninety years ago, they changed their sorcery and combat training in a bid to further disassociate from us.' he said as he put the photo on the desk. 'Young Allen Walker must have met a Church Member and told him what awaits him in the Order so the boy quickly changed his allegiance.'

'But the Order's changed now!' Komui cried. '**I** changed it! Everyone in all five branches can live happily...those dark days my sister and hundreds of children suffered are way over! My sister could smile again!' he burst out. 'We could finally be a real church!'

'But the fact is, Central outranks you and the Vatican outranks everyone.' said Bookman. 'Your wishes will be overridden at some point if they want something nobody likes done. You're powerless.' he said as Komui gritted his teeth at the bitter truth. 'You're only in your position as you know full well that they are using you to keep everyone happy and loyal to the Order as you 'aired the cupboards' and changed many rules. But you know that you are a truly powerless man put in a high position because as long as you're here, Lenalee is here and will no longer commit suicide out of her hate to the Order and ruining your lives by forcing you two into this war.' he said. 'You are a leash that keeps Lenalee away from her imposed death. And another leash to keep everyone loyal because you are a very kind man who truly cares for his subordinates.' he said softly.

'To Allen Walker who knows of the Order's crimes against humanity and innocent children...he would sooner spit at our face than listen to us as the Church he is with feels great animosity and hatred to the Order. To the Church who separated from the Vatican and us, we are nothing more than monsters and atrocious sinners in human skin to them. He is an exorcist we can never have.'

Komui sighed depressingly.

'Its been ninety-nine years since we last heard from them too.' said Bookman. 'And after such a long time they turn up again. What are they up to...?'

'What do they normally do, Bookman?' Komui asked the elderly Bookman curiously while sounding so weary and tired.

'...this is something no one knows about.' said Bookman. 'But they investigate and solve supernatural phenomena and hides the existence of supernatural and sorcery from the world and no longer have anything to do with the Earl and the Akuma. They are staunch believers and devotees to the ways of God and memorized the bible from first to last page as well as many prayers which became mediums for their sorcery. They are also extremely skilled combatants CROW cannot compare to them. And when it comes to sacrifices, this is where we differ from them.'

'They sacrifice only themselves while the Order sacrifices children to accomplish goals. While similar to 'the ends justify the means', the Church do what it takes, even die while avoiding deaths and casualties of bystanders. They even repair damages using magic and making witnesses forget their experience with the supernatural. I managed to locate the Burial Agency before I met Lavi but they caught me and wiped my memory of the location. All I remember is being there once. They don't like us Bookmen either as we are subordinates of the Vatican despite our neutral natures.'

'I see...and those things, we never do.' Komui said softly. 'We truly are...monsters.'

He had no choice but to stop orders on the search for Allen Walker.


	4. The Dead Apostle of Romania

The Dead Apostle of Romania

Romania, a month later...

In a small village, Allen heard rumors of the Black Order trying to defeat a vampire. Allen shuddered in excitement. His first Dead Apostle! "Lucky~! Is it a Ghoul? Living Dead?" he thought gleefully as he ran into the town. And clad in his priestly attire, he asked about the Vampire's whereabouts. Upon getting a hotel however...his bad luck caused him to meet the Exorcists the next day.

'It's him!' Lenalee gasped as she was with Yu Kanda, a new Exorcist Allen hasn't seen yet.

'You, come with us to the Order.' Kanda demanded coolly and Allen flipped him the bird causing crosshairs to pop on Kanda's temple while Lenalee gasped at the expression.

'So sorry, no can do. I belong to the Church, not a cesspit of black sinners.' said Allen coldly. 'It appears that they have trained you two well after enduring cruel hell in the Order.' he remarked thoughtfully as the girl flinched. 'After all that, you're loyal to those sinners who have trampled on half the Ten Commandments a million times now. Let's see, let's do a little recap, shall we?' he said with a malicious smirk. As Allen spoke two of the rules, Lenalee was shaking in anger at her own past when Rule 3 was recited while Kanda looked homicidal, remembering his own past.

'1. I am the Lord thy God. Thou shall not have any other Gods besides me. -And the Vatican and the Order are worshipping Innocence, thinking its a link to the Almighty. Wrong. It was made out of Sorcery back at the Age of Gods through powerful Alchemy Sorcery given holy properties to combat the Earl's Dark Matter. Whoever created Innocence used God himself as propaganda that led to the lies you believe today.'

'Rule no. 3. Thou shall not take the name of the Lord God in vain. -You keep saying that the suffering of hundreds of children, you yourselves included as necessary sacrifices to appease God in hopes of becoming Apostles of Innocence? Try saying that to the souls of children who died horrifying deaths from experimentations for they will surely curse you and spit at your face.'

'Rule no. 6. Thou shall not kill. -Ohhh Central and Vatican did that hundreds of times! To children and infants no less, from the records we scrounged!'

'Rule no. 7. Thou shall not steal. -or in this case, _kidnap children who are relatives of Exorcists_ in hopes they too can be Accomodators and subject them to experiments without the Exorcist knowing, and if they died, _they pass it off as akuma attack_?'

'And Rule no. 10. Thou shall not covet. Hoarding Exorcists against their wills applies.' Allen chuckled, shaking his head. 'And you want me to join such people? At the Church where I am, I have more human rights than you. We can leave anytime, we get paid for our troubles, we get day-offs like typical workers do and we can even have families and keep contact. You on the other hand, are test subjects kept against your wills.' he said as Kanda furiously attacked Kanda but he quickly reinforced his whole body and grabbed the blade with his left hand, and used a palm strike to push Kanda backwards, blowing him away back to Lenalee. 'Ohya, struck a nerve, didn't I? But that is the truth. We of the Church are proud humans and servants of the Lord. We will never be associated with the likes of the Black Order who are truly as black as their name suggests.'

'B-but the Order's changed now!' Lenalee cried. 'Those dark days are over! My brother made sure of that!' she told him defensively as Allen tut-tutted, complete with wagging finger.

'We have heard of Komui Lee. He is a man we truly respect and at the same time, feel sympathy for.' said Allen, surprising her. 'He is a true servant of the lord yet he is forced to be with the sinners. He is used as a leash to _keep you in the Order and stop your suicidal tendencies as they cannot afford to lose a valuable Exorcist_.' Lenalee pursed her lips at this. 'To do so, Central gave him leeway to do as Komui wanted to give the image that the Order changed, taking advantage of your brother's feelings. They manipulated Komui by letting him do as he wishes to ensure loyalty of the Order by making them all think that Komui succeeded and when he stayed in the Order for your sake, he can no longer back out as if he does, those evil days will surely return.' Lenalee was shaking and stewing on her anger at this. Her brother was unknowingly used so they'll stay?

'Assuming he takes you away to safety and hide you until you grow old...what will happen to the Exorcists left behind and their families? By saving one, Komui would end up damning the rest, so he could not leave with you for your sake as he also has the safety and sanity of others to think of and protect. He is stuck in a political quagmire with no way out. Komui is powerless. Especially if its Central who gave the Order with approval from the top. Their orders must be executed whether Komui likes it or not. The most he can do...is water down that order by finding loopholes to ease the suffering brought by what's coming. One day, their due will come for sure and karma will bite. Painfully. My offer is open...join us, the Church and leave them behind.' and he passed them to walk further into the hallway by the stairs, leaving Lenalee and Kanda in their stupor and conflicting feelings.

xxx

Up at the village, Allen sent a message to Headquarters after using Sorcery...and at HQ, on a small writing machine that was the Magus' style of Fax Machine.

_I am investigating rumors of a Vampire_  
_in Romania, in the village of Ocna Mures._  
_The Black Order has also taken interest_  
_in this case and sent two members; Yu_  
_Kanda and Lenalee Lee. If confirmed to_  
_be a Vampire, I will kill. However, given_  
_akuma presence in the village, there must_  
_be something else and there is no sign of  
typical Dead Apostle Activity I learned in  
lessons. This may be Innocence._

_-Allen_

_PS- If anyone comes, DO NOT offend the flowers  
or get chomped off. Flatter and be nice. Been here  
once **no thanks to Cross**. I still have scary memories  
of 'Rosanna the Chomping Rose' he had me take care  
of when I was little.  
_

_Oh, and my left eye evolved. Since its a curse made  
of Dark Matter, it evolves when I reach a certain number  
of killings or 'experience points'. I can now activate it  
voluntarily and works like a radar. I can detect akuma  
within a 300m radius no matter the obstacle and those  
within my sight range near me, the center when my left  
eye is open can temporarily see what I see as long as I  
don't blink. Freaked out some civilians too and I had to  
modify their memories._

With that, Allen decided to investigate Castle Crowley. He had gone up and saw...unusually horrible flowers that would have been beautiful if ONLY they don't have a mouth and rows of sharp teeth!

Allen remember Rosanna all of a sudden, a potted flower Cross had him care for in his adolescence. He knew how to easily pass by the flowers. He gave them joyful and polite flattery while walking by the crazy garden, before sighing in relief.

'These flowers sure look interesting.' Allen got startled by a meter-tall old man dressed like a count. He used a black umbrella to shield himself from the sun. 'You bypassed such scary-looking creatures by only flattery and kindness, I think I'd want one.'

'Go get one at your own risk.' said Allen flatly and snarkily. 'They're carnivorous and one hell of a temper. If they're offended, they bite or swallow you whole. If flattered and treated kindly, the damn things actually coo!' he shuddered. 'Aleister Crowley I somehow found these crazy plants on his travels...and these plants in turn cursed the family with their horrible reputation, accused as vampires. I am here to talk to the Crowley Family about this.'

'I see...but there's a demon in there and there's no vampire.' said the old man as he took some plants for himself. 'Ohoho, I'll take some of these, surely the Third won't mind!' and he vanished.

Allen shook his head at the eccentric Wizard Marshall who has weird interests once in a while. Eccentricity comes with being immortal, he supposed. He jumped over the high gate with maximum reinforcement on his legs and jumped down on the opposite side. He then activated his curse and moved fast to sneak around the premises in search of the Crowleys.

However, he has to take into account the Wizard Marshall's advice. There's a demon in the castle so he kept his eye activated and snuck around. He soon found a couple in the living room, having breakfast together. But for someone of nobility rank as the Crowleys have the title Baron, the house was messily full of unique collections, and there's no servants at all. Only...two of them. "Its number three and some woman." he thought as he used a spell on Crowley but no response. "Whew, he's not a Dead Apostle so what about you, young missy?" Allen opened his left eye with a nasty smile.

Yesterday, after killing so many akuma en route to East, his left eye evolved. From a black-and-red eye with involuntary activation, his eye now had a cogwheel monocle upgrade...it can now be activated voluntarily, and the monocle represents his radius. 300 m radius. Within that range, he could locate akuma no matter the obstacle.

That, and within his radius...the decaying souls are visible to anyone...and Crowley pointed out innocently, 'What is that ghost hovering near you?'

This caused his companion to gasp as she too, could see her decaying soul.

All hell broke loose. Allen wisely scooted away from a crazy matrimonial fight to the death and he soon found out why.

Crowley is an Exorcist whose ability motif centers on Vampirism. Probably a self-fulfilling prophecy and a sense of irony because of this village's belief on the Crowley Family. They want vampire? They got one now.

xxx

In the Forest...

'Hey boya,' said Lenalee kindly as she and Kanda saw Merem going up the forest heading for Crowley Castle. 'You shouldn't be here, its dangerous.'

'...no its not.' said Merem. 'I got reliable intel that we have a new friend in the castle.' he said with a smirk. 'And I am simply here to pick him up.'

'Who?' Kanda frowned at this.

'My pupil's old acquaintance, Aleister Crowley III. He is an Exorcist.' Lenalee and Kanda gasped at this. 'Because of Aleister Crowley I's unique interests in his collection, gigantic prehistoric carnivorous plants included that eats visitors, they gained the reputation that they are vampires. Family servants left them and the village sees them as a monster. The other Crowley relatives, disheartened by this change of view and they could not convince Aleister I to get rid of his flowers, they left the village to start anew somewhere, leaving him alone with his grandson who was too young to travel at the time, Aleister III.' Merem explained. 'At some point years ago, Cross Marian borrowed a flower from the Third for experimental study before returning it to him. And then the third became a self-fulfilling prophecy. He became a Vampire. But he has unusual vampire behavior.'

'Unusual...he attacks people!' Lenalee sputtered out queasily.

'A vampire needs blood to sustain their existence when injured...yet Crowley the III only fed on four people in three years and he was never injured. And when Vampires consume, they leave a mummified victim drained of their blood unless given blood to become a vampire but his victims turn to dust. I should know because...' Merem grinned as his skin turned deathly pale with veins exposed. His eyes became red as well. His smile showed that his fangs is elongating. 'I'm a real vampire.' Lenalee and Kanda gasped in horror. 'Hehe...and my pupil had to get me to pick this one up in broad daylight...he owes me big for this.' he grumbled as he walked on ahead.

'And you can calmly walk on ahead with two people here able to kill a vampire?' Kanda growled as he unsheathed his sword. Merem looked back and raised an eyebrow lazily before chuckling.

'You're welcome to try, boy...that will never work on me.' Merem chuckled as Kanda sliced him in half...but the halves laughed as they became whole again to their disbelief. 'Ahahaha! Told you!' he chuckled. 'Innocence only works on akuma and the Noah Clan but to other species like us, weapons out of Innocence are no more than magical weapons...and I'm a Dead Apostle Ancestor. Only a fellow Ancestor can kill another. The likes of you can never kill me. Not even your hope, the Heart of Innocence.'

Merem lied about one thing.

Indeed, Innocence are created ONLY to harm the akuma and the Noah Clan. However, _anything magical_ can kill a Vampire with one exception. Because of the Innocence's 'programming', they can only kill what it was designed to kill. But they can't harm anything other than human, Noah and Innocence. Why human? Because all humans in the world possess a dormant Noah Gene. If a human who inherited a powerful gene awakened, they become Noahs, hence humans get hurt and killed if attacked by an Innocence Weapon. But on Vampires and Phantasmal Species, it will NOT work.

But to humans who became Dead Apostles, the gene is 'killed'. Thus they have no chances of becoming Noah. Magi also had a way NOT to become Noahs and expose Thaumaturgy to a clan of dangerous superhumans who cannot be affected by worldly means. The Magic Circuits which overpowers the Noah Gene Memory in their souls and humans who become Magi also gets the same luxury unless they have Dark Matter shoved in them. The Earl who created the Dark Matter however, has Magic Circuits but his knowledge of magic was not updated but still dangerous. And explosive. The other Noah Members have no Magic Circuits. They only have their abilities because of the Dark Matter in their bodies. Thus in a way, they have thaumaturgical abilities only as long as they have Dark Matter. However, by having Dark Matter in their bodies...makes them vulnerable to Innocence as well.

And so...

'T-then if Vampires truly exist, how come we don't hear of high body counts?!' Kanda demanded furiously while wary of the deceptively young boy who is in fact, centuries older when he said he's an Ancestor.

'Oh, that? To maintain balance of the world.' said Merem. 'Only the chosen are allowed to become, and live as Vampires and there are very, very few of us in this world. If there are lots of undead, humans, spurred with Greed will think we're immortal humans and demand we turn them. If we don't, they hate what they cannot have and hate those who have what they want. A case of sour grapes and cause needless trouble out of greed. Those who will cause trouble are not allowed to become a Vampire. So we get blood from Hospital Blood Banks instead. Even then we only drink when we are really hurt and spend energy on regeneration.'

At this, the two Exorcists paled.

Kanda sliced him in half and Merem regenerated to become whole again.

"H-he wouldn't...right?" they gulped nervously.

xxx

Castle gates...

Merem face-faulted when he saw Allen in front of a garden of gigantic plants with mouths and rows of sharp teeth, playing solitaire by himself. 'Idiot pupil! What the heck are you doing playing Solitaire instead of doing your damn job?!' Merem yelled with a comical bighead. His words...were strangely foreign to the two Exorcists. A vampire, TRAIN an Exorcist working for a CHURCH?!

'Oh, that? Well I'm waiting.' said Allen as he picked up his cards and shuffled them. 'You got my report right?' Merem nodded. 'So I opened my left eye while hidden near Crowley and his wife...and her cover's blown as an akuma. So she lost her temper and decided to kill him just so he would never become an Exorcist.' he said. 'Right now there's a crazy matrimonial fight going on in there and while I don't mind watching battles, matrimonial fights is another can of worms too awkward to watch.' he shuddered with an awkward look on his face. 'So I'm waiting for Crowley III to kill her and let him experience his first fight with an akuma.'

'Eh?! But its his first time activating!' Lenalee moaned. 'You should have stayed!' she cried worriedly for the new Exorcist who would most likely join the Church and not The Order.

'Its his fight.' Allen shrugged. 'Its his wife. He _unknowingly married an akuma_.'

'Is that even possible?!' Lenalee cried shrilly. Allen shrugged.

'Akuma who are Level 2 can do whatever they want to kill time by doing leisurely things when they get tired and bored of gaining experience points because as Level 2s, they have their own free will and sentience. They used to be human after all before the Earl damned their souls. But if given direct orders by the Earl or the Noah, they cannot disobey and resist.' said Allen. 'His wife must have had dreams of an ideal married life but stopped when she became an akuma. And then she met Crowley whom she knew is an Exorcist. So she made sure he'll never know what he is while enjoying a married life and did a real good job suppressing her murderous bloodlust.' he explained. 'Too bad for them I blew her cover.' he shrugged uncaringly. 'Its a necessity to release her soul and who better than her husband himself?' he explained while playing Solitaire again. 'Its better this way. Crowley will grow old while she stays young forever as an akuma. When he does, he would suspect she's something else. She would either leave or kill him, so better now than later.'

'I see.' Merem mused thoughtfully. 'So we wait this out then?'

'Yes. So until then...be nice to the flowers.' said Allen with a weak smile. 'If you offend them, they eat you.'

'And you know this HOW?' Kanda asked him wryly.

'Cross made me take care of one when he borrowed a young plant from Crowley three years ago.' said Allen wryly. 'I never knew what he did with it. Months later, we returned the damn plant.'

'Naruhodo ne...I think I'll take some home too.' Merem mused with interest.

'Oh no, not you too.' Allen groaned. 'The Marshall was here not long ago and took some seedlings too!' Merem perked up at this.

'Oh, Zelretch did? Well, they ARE interesting creatures...'

'That's because you guys get bored too easily!'


	5. The Boy and the Vampire

The Boy and the Vampire

Lenalee and Kanda fell silent before the eccentric pair.

A priest from a Church and a Vampire getting along like lifelong buddies? This is particularly a contradicting situation!

Merem adoring the carnivorous flowers clearly enjoying attention and Allen freaking out because he does, clearly traumatized by 'Rosanna the Chomping Rose' making them wonder how the hell Cross raised him and tried to persuade Merem otherwise from bringing one back home 'You treasure nut case!'

'Hey! Treasure is love! What would a baby like you know about treasure!' Merem retorted childishly.

'Treasure is just a glorified display in a safe!'

'Nooo! Treasure is something beautiful and valuable! They're not some cheap display in a safe! They're meant to be adored and loved!' Merem snarked back.

'Any treasure but those crazy plants!'

'Nooo! I want them! Zelretch took some, why can't I?!'

'Because he lives somewhere else wherever hell his castle is and you live right next door to me because you're my main trainer!'

'Then I'll just have Ciel babysit them for me! She's a flower-loving girl!'

'Even she has standards of 'beauty' that does NOT involve vain-ass butt-ugly flowers with slimy stinky throats!' and Allen felt malice behind him courtesy of the flowers, and he dodged angry flowers trying to eat him by rolling away, shrieking in horror. Merem howled in laughter.

'WHO was it who said NOT to offend the flowers?!' he wheezed in laughter, causing his pupil to blush stark red.

'Shut up!'

'Ano...' Lenalee squeaked out as the two Burial members glanced at them. 'For a priest and vampire, aren't you two getting along _too well_?' last anyone would check, this, is NOT supposed to be even possible.

'We~ll, the Church has some treasures I wanted, but sealed up tight.' Merem huffed with his arms crossed. 'I can't get to them! So I have to work to be near my babies! Got a problem?!' Lenalee sweatdropped.

'Ehhh no.'

'Now that you don't, I have no issues unless I get bothered.' Merem grunted when his eyes turned red. 'Oh shit, I've been outside too long I'm getting itchy...' Vampires get nasty sunburns and due to their undead bodies, actually suffer damage from sunburn. 'Allen, your neck please.' Allen meeped and got redder.

'H-here?! Not in a private room?!' he yelped in awkward distress.

The last time he got sucked blood, he was so embarrassed he could not show up unless Ciel forcibly dragged him out because its her turn to train him.

'Yes, here, I don't see a private room and the castle is out of the question right now!' Merem said wryly. Allen reluctantly unbuttoned his shirt to expose his neck.

'Fine, but take responsibility!' Allen choked. 'Last time you sucked me, I had no idea what to do until the geezer tossed me a porn book!' Lenalee and Kanda stared at him incredulously. What does a porn book had to do with the aftermaths of getting one's blood sucked? 'I can't believe I did it!'

'Its what frustrated men do when they can't get a girl.' said Merem impishly. 'Now then, pucker up.' Allen sat down and tilted his head, Merem straddled him and exposed his fangs before biting, and since they're in a quiet place, the sound of Allen's skin being pierced was audible.

However...THIS, Kanda and Lenalee did NOT expect.

Allen was moaning...sexually...like he was aroused and about to release his orgasm.

His expression instilled awkward feelings in the two Exorcists who were frozen stiff, red-faced from such a scene, unable to do a thing.

'N-Not...again...nnnhhaaaa...'

'W-what's with that freaky reaction?!' Kanda totally freaked out as apparently, getting bitten by a vampire induces immense sexual arousal. **No wonder Allen wanted a private room**.

'Well, Allen is a virgin you see...' said Merem as he put his hand inside Allen's pants, causing Lenalee to squeak and look away. 'For virgins, when vampires suck from them, this happens. But to a person who is not a virgin, they do not feel such thing. Even we vampire ancestors do not know why such a reaction happens and we really don't want to experiment.' he sighed rather wearily as he exposed Allen's arousal. Even his pubic hair was white. 'Come on boy, shoot.' he said while fondling Allen's arousal that was pinkish and stiff, making him gasp shallowly and moan for more. Kanda swallowed at the scene before him, his lower jaw trembling as heat pooled down his pants. 'And unless they come, they will not be released from sexual pleasure.' he fondled Allen some more until he finally ejaculated. A lot. Followed by a gasp of pleasure release.

Kanda sported quite the tent in his pants and he was glad his uniform has a cloak. As for Lenalee, she is also suffering in her own way. If Kanda sported a tent...she's sporting wet underwear because her fantasy ran wild and it somehow...turned her on.

Merem was smirking as he collected the semen into a small vial and fixed Allen's clothes. To Allen who has two circuit systems of differing high qualities, this amount alone can fuel a battery for two weeks. 'Come on now Allen, you're fine now.' he said. 'Seriously, lose your virginity already.' he chuckled. 'Your reactions means you've never even gotten a kiss from a lady.'

'And to who?' Allen snorted. 'If anyone can look at my body without cringing, I would.' he said with a bitter smile. Merem sighed as he embraced his student.

'Anyone at the Church.' he said. 'If they welcomed a treasure-loving Vampire like me, why not you?'

'Well...I still want it special I guess.' said Allen with a sigh. 'Well, I think the fighting is about done by now...' he stood up, still a bit shaky from experience and fell on his knees.

'I think you'd best stay here.' said Merem. 'You know what happens when a man _of your condition_ ejaculates.' he said with emphasis. 'You have three hours to be on your feet you know. Now then...I better go get our man.' and he left, easily bypassing the flowers.

'Condition...nothing about it is said in General Cross' letter about you.' Lenalee frowned. 'What condition?'

When a magus is drained of prana from over-use of magic, a mana transfer is performed through sex with the mana coming along with the form of body fluids from the supplying partner. The transfer would exhaust the supplier to an extent, especially if they are inexperienced in controlling their transfer. Moreover so for men. And this only happens to Magi.

Not that Allen can tell them about Magic Circuits...

'...sexual pleasure and release after a bite is...taxing.' Allen gasped out the excuse as he lied down sideways for more comfort. 'Not even vampires know why they have such an effect on us virgins anyway so I can't answer your questions even if I want to...'

'Well, crap.'

Twenty minutes later...Castle Crowley exploded to the teenagers' disbelief, but minutes later, Merem and Crowley came back out.

'What's with the explosion?!'

'Um...I blew up the castle.' said Crowley with a shaky smile. 'I've been bound to that castle all my life...and now I'm free. I'm no longer the caretaker of grandfather's collections.' he said. 'I also got an offer to be a priest to move on...after Eliade.'

'Well, we'll be going home now.' said Merem as his left leg fell off...and it became a manta ray-like demon around two hundred meters in size, easily giving them all shade from the sun...and of course, easily visible from the village. Merem and Crowley are soon gone in rapid speeds after a slow ascension upwards.

'His leg just fell off...' Lenalee squeaked in horror. 'And it became a monster manta ray?'

'Well, Master has no choice in the matter...rather, humans never gave him a choice.' said Allen. 'When he was human and a child centuries ago, he has the ability to materialize wishes because of his deep connection to the world. His tribal village didn't want him to leave and lose that power, so they chopped off his limbs...while worshipping him as a deity, asking him to materialize their wishes.' he said with a dark disdainful voice. 'Master was forced to fulfill their wishes, tormented by his pain, and building up his hatred of humanity and their greed until one day, Crimson Moon, one of the oldest vampires heard of him. He gave the village a cruel challenge. Materialize a demon powerful enough to beat him, he leaves them alone. If they lose, he would kill them all. What do you think happened?'

'They lost.' said Kanda. 'And the vampire slaughtered them all.' Allen smiled.

'Smart boy.' he said. 'Master however, died from producing too much wishes as it taxes him. So Crimson Moon brought him back to life by turning him into a vampire, and told him to materialize limbs to learn what freedom is once more. Master was very grateful for his freedom and swore his eternal loyalty to Crimson Moon's bloodline. Humans are monsters in human skin while the very monsters humans feared turned out to be more human in heart than they can ever be. Monsters and demons they feared are much kinder and wiser while humans drown in greed, lust, and vice, willing to trample on others to get to their desires. Master's life is such example that not all humans are good...and we got along well for we shared the same outlook on humanity. Humans are cruel monsters in the world.'

'That's not really true...there are also some good humans in this world too.' Lenalee protested. 'There's us!'

'Indeed, but the good humans as you claim are only 1/10 depending on how they are raised by adults.' said Allen. 'Children are innocent blank slates that gain colorful designs the more they are raised. They are raised by good people, they are raised by bad people and the experiences they gain play a great role in their lives, making them what they are today. We are the result.' and he vanished.

xxx

Three days later...the Black Order...

Komui and the Bookmen were bamboozled with Lenalee and Kanda's reports about Aleister Crowley III...and what exactly happened in their time at the village.

Vampires are now involved too and as long as they don't harm humans, the Church leaves them alone, one is even Allen's teacher and humans with special powers without Innocence actually existed.

Komui made everyone in his office swear not to talk about this EVER again. He didn't want to give the higher ups reason to hunt down and subjugate special children against their wills and give them a good reason to hate them. That, and the two 'teenagers' think that humanity are the true monsters of the world due to how their experience with people were, and monsters were the next best thing next to saints as monsters saved them and were kind to them.

Bookman said humanity is doomed, if abused children turn to monsters for reprieve and kindness they longed for, before departing to leave to look for their assigned Generals.

To Lenalee and the Bookmen's misfortune, they were assigned to find Cross Marian, Allen's teacher. And even worse, the man's pupil is with the Church and would refuse cooperation even if he's willing to give information. So maybe they should find him first?

Three months later, they found him in the Middle East, talking to a purple-haired woman according to a Finder. The Finder asked him if he knew where Cross Marian is because a search party is out looking for him.

'Oh, the ol' drunk?' said Allen. 'He's in Japan. Something about hi-jacking a ship, whatever heck he meant about that.' he said. 'Other than that, I could care less what he does as long as he doesn't pin his bills on me again! Another perk brought on that I'm NOT an Order Member!'

So now their destination is clear. Cross Marian is in Japan.


End file.
